EVs will be as popular as the iPhone

So even if you whack a third off the price of a Karma and get it down toward the price tags on mass-produced EVs that U.S. manufacturers are rolling out now, seems like a stretch to compare EV popularity to that of an iPhone. At least not yet.

But that, of course, is Fisker's point. New technology always costs more in its infancy due to production costs. Wait a bit and they'll come down. He uses the iPhone as one example. Flat screen TVs are another; in the early days you could spend $20,000 on the same basic thing you can pick up for $500 today. Laptop computers also come to mind.

However, there are still a few big bumps in the road for EVs. You've heard of range anxiety, and battery prices don't exactly sound like bargains yet. Whether you're talking about lithium ion or nickel metal hydride, they're still in the $10,00 and up range. And there's that pesky charging infrastructure problem. Grid integration and management is still a big issue.

Still, there's typically a "gotta have it now" crowd of early adopters when it comes to hot new technologies like the iPhone, which helps drive popularity. Do you think the EV early adopter pool is going to be big enough to have the same effect – and how long will it take?

That’s the Tuesday Topic on Smart Grid News Talk – the brand new discussion website hosted by Smart Grid News. Every Tuesday we’ll pose a topic and invite you to jump in with your thoughts and insights. So go to the News Talk site and click register to join this new smart grid community. It’s fast, it’s easy and it’s free.

PS: We have several forums set up in addition to the Tuesday Topic. Be sure to check them all out when you have a minute.